Beer commercials & church?

These commercials stand out in a sea of utterly apathetic advertising. The marketing is incredible. Want to know what this commercial has to do with church? Prodigal Jon nails it here.

Christian Bloggers Network on Facebook

I just ran across the Christian Bloggers Network (CBN) on Facebook and thought it was a cool idea. Check it out and see who's blogging near you!

Friends with double vision

Thursday before a 3-day weekend... I love the anticipation!

Allow me to take a moment and introduce you to a young couple new to the blog-o-sphere. Meet Josh and Rachel.


They, along with their daughter Abigail, live in Kansas City. They have a heart to to serve the Lord and are a very creative couple. Keep an eye on their writings as they navigate the journey God sets before them. I'm sure you'll find some rich insight, raw honesty, humorous antidotes and a story in the making.

Read their blog here.

When people bark | part 2

Sometimes people can bark. Among the many experiences I have had with such people—one stands shoulders above the rest.

I was working as supervisor at a coffeehouse in Kansas City when Rufus (whose name has obviously been changed) walks in and orders a frozen yogurt in a cup.

“Sure thing!” I replied as I walked over to the frozen yogurt machine, grabbed a cup and proceeded to swirl the yogurt into it twisted ever so stylishly. I then slid the plastic spoon into the treat and handed the cup of frozen perfection to Rufus.

His expression changed at that moment from great anticipation to obvious disgust. With scary fixed gaze locked on me alone, he meandered slowly to the trash and dropped the whole cup of yogurt in with a loud THUD.

I experienced in that moment what I like to call “hot nerves” running up and down my 6’1” frame as I felt somewhat offended and caught off guard. Something was obviously not quite right here.

So once again Rufus repeated the order he spouted just an eternal minute earlier. Didn’t I just do that? Is this guy psycho?

“I just made that for you… was there something wrong?” I managed to sputter out of my shocked expression.

With utter disdain, much like Seinfeld addressed Newman, he said, “You placed the spoon in the yogurt.”

“I did. Did you not want a spoon?”

“Not in my yogurt. That spoon touched the counter.”

“Actually, sir, I placed it on a napkin.”

“Same difference. I want a new one.”

Lightbulb—This man suffers from OCD! That changes everything!

As the hot nerves subsided, I carefully made the next frozen yogurt and handed the spoon wrapped cautiously in a tissue directly to Rufus. He was happy.

My understanding of the matter had dramatically altered my reaction as well as my attitude.

You see, from that moment on, instead of fearing the mean, demanding, quirky guy I chose to go out of my way to serve him the best I could without allowing his rough edges to bother me. I think after awhile he came to appreciate my attitude (despite his bark), for he would specifically ask others if I could be the one to serve him.

And when he thought I wasn’t looking, he began to quietly drop a few coins in the tip jar.

When people bark | Part 1

Whenever I walk by the fence that borders my drive and the neighbors yard, their little Chihuahua sneaks up on me and begins to bark like crazy—swirling in circles and trying to look all tough. For about a year the little rodent made me jump and get what I call “hot nerves” because he always seemed to come out of nowhere and startle me. He really knew how to tick me off.

However, about two months ago something strange happened. Pulling into the drive, I noticed the lil’ noisemaker crouched in the corner of the neighbors yard. Slowly I turned the car off and watched as he stalked closer and closer like a cougar ready to pounce on its’ prey. Cautiously I stepped out from the car and without notice he charged and began his notorious bark-swirls.

Oddly enough, that was the moment I realized that this dog actually likes me.

Sometimes in similar fashion people come at us all the wrong way. For whatever reason, they bark, swirl and continuously catch us off guard. They might try to intimidate us or cause us to react in a negative way. It’s almost as if they find enjoyment in this like the small dog that can make a grown man jump.

The dilemma for us arises when we interpret their “bark” as an attack and defensively react in a negative way. Reacting in a negative way or out of emotion is never a good thing. But how can we react positively if someone is constantly coming at us?

The answer lies in our perspective of the situation.

What we might not realize is that most of the time these people are just lonely and trying to seek attention in all the wrong ways. It’s almost as if causing a reaction from someone (even negative) brings some sort of significance to their life. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this is right or acceptable behavior, but as the recipient of such behavior we must learn to deal with negatives in a positive way as to maintain our own good character.

In the case of lil’ Cujo, I chose to see the barking, swirling and intimidation as his way of playing a game with me. As he tries to scare me, I bring enjoyment to his day. This perspective changed our daily meeting in a dramatic way. No longer do I dread the noisy barks from this taco bell dog, but rather look forward to seeing him because I know deep down, in a twisted way, he loves our time together. If he catches me off guard and makes me jump—he wins. If I spot him sneaking up on me—I win. This perspective might not be based in reality, but it helps me to love the little monster. Sounds weird, I know, but it helps my attitude anyway.

The fact is our perspective matters and makes all the difference! As we challenge ourselves to look for something positive in negative situations or people, we will inevitably change how we react to their barks and swirls. By lightening up and reacting in a more positive way, we can reduce stress and enjoy the interactions with others that we previously dreaded the most.

Proverbs 25:21-22, “If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.” (The Message)

If someone barks at you today, maybe just smile and compliment them some way in return. I would love to hear your experiences and/or feedback on this. Part 2 of this post will deal with some specific examples of how I changed my perspective in real life situations. Stay tuned….

Back in the game

The sound of the ball, the thrill of the score, and satisfaction of “leaving it all on the field” are just a few things I enjoy about playing soccer. The end of July marks the last day of recovery from back surgery. Total recover time lasts sixteen weeks and although I feel much better than I did prior to surgery, I have to approach certain things with extra caution. Soccer is one thing that will still be a few more weeks. I can't wait!

The paradox for me lies not in the recovery time, but in the fact that I haven’t played for over 10 years. No one likes to be injured or hurt, but it’s interesting how they open our eyes to the things missing from our lives and awaken our passions. They allow us to feel the urgency and determination to take that first step into the things have been disabled by fears or procrastinations.

I have a confession to make. Although I love soccer, my wanting to play is really not about the sport to me. What I really miss is being able to kick a ball around with my two beautiful daughters, which I haven’t been able to do since last September.

In a small way, this is what life is about. This is worth the first step.

I am counting the days.

Church Planting with Bob Ross?

Recently, I was trying to help out my daughter Olathe with some math homework. I was taught a certain method of reaching the answer. She, on the other hand, is learning several methods of reaching the same answer. So naturally when she asked me for help it became frustrating for both of us. Let me explain…

For me it was frustrating because I knew what the answer should be and the method I was taught to get to that answer, but that wasn’t what the teacher wanted. If I persisted to teach her my way, she would not actually get a good grade because she needed to show her work through a different method.

On the other hand, it was frustrating for her because she needed help. Since I wasn’t there in class to hear the method she was supposed to use, I had to try to draw it out of her and then work with what she was telling me, which I was more than happy to try.

As a church planter I often find I don’t know how to accomplish everything the Lord requires of me. Many times I want to ask Bob Ross how to paint a “white, puffy cloud” when God really wants me to learn how to paint a storm in abstract. If all I ever do is paint by numbers, will I ever really learn how to paint? In the end, I might have a decent painting, but never a skill to paint an original masterpiece.

Maybe God is more interested in me learning to hear His voice rather than some easy answer to church growth.

When it comes to church planting, there is no shortage of advice, but there just might be a shortage of church planters that rely on the Spirit to show them the next step.

Glean all you can from other church planters, books and blogs but ultimately take “good notes” in the class of the Holy Spirit and learn how to get the methods and answers needed directly from Him. Then as you receive or hear advice from others, you will be able to sort out the methods that God might be calling you to attempt in your context. The rest... respectfully decline.

Swimming with the Sharks

They say a shark will only grow size proportionately to the aquarium it is put in. That means a mature shark in a small aquarium might never grow bigger than several inches.

For us, we might therefore consider aquariums a wonderful place to swim if it weren’t for the following small details…

1. We were made for bigger things: There is no way this 190lb man is going to fit in a little fish tank, but many times I find myself trying to live in the safe box I create. Why? Because that's where there is no danger…. no risk. The sharks are small and can’t really hurt me there. The problem is we were never made to live in little aquariums. We were made for a life of adventure and risk. When we don’t take risks, we can’t exercise our faith. Without faith, we can’t please God.

2. Aquariums are fake worlds: Treasure chests, plastic seaweed, even the way in which the water receives oxygen is contrived. When we submerge ourselves in a world of fake surroundings, we don’t face the realities of life, which essentially cause us to grow. It takes resistance to build muscle just as the hard realities of life in this world cause us to grow spiritually. Look at all the great men and women who became great through their struggle, not by pretending it didn't exist.

3. There’s no room for anyone else: When we live a life of safety, we are become concerned with ourselves as numero uno. We are always looking out for our own best interest. What do fish in an aquarium seem to look forward to most… food! Feed me, feed me! All the while, they are probably looking over at the fish stuck on the glass saying, “Thank you Lord, I don’t have to suck algae and stare out that glass!” In actuality, at least the algae sucker is looking out instead of in.

4. The outside world looks distorted from inside the aquarium: Just how sometimes we see fish distorted from certain angles, I imagine they look out and see some pretty intimidating things. I think of Joshua, Caleb and the other spies checking out the Promised Land. When the other spies came back, they said they saw giants and they felt like grasshoppers in comparison. Typical safe, selfish, aquarium living. Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, saw the same thing, but they were living a life of risk. They had a different perspective and realized things aren't what they appear. They weren’t going to let their lives be ruled by what things looked like from inside the aquarium.

The deep calls.
Tony Morgan wraps it up in one powerful quote. Read it here.

Spiritual Balance and Foam Tubes

Yesterday, I had to balance on a foam tube. It was an interesting exercise which involved lying down with the tube extending along my spine. I was then told to stretch my hands out from my sides and rock back and forth on the tube, trying all the while to stay horizontally parallel with the ground. It was rather difficult. ☺

Balance is the key. Apparently, it’s what helps the core muscles flex and strengthen. The core is the body’s center of gravity, so as I stretched out to either side gravity would begin to pull me down. In order to stay parallel, I had to flex muscles only God knew I had (they sure aren’t visible). It wasn’t an easy exercise, but if I keep it up the end result will be a strong core and center of gravity.

Spiritually speaking, balance is also one of the keys to having a strong core and center of gravity in every Christian’s life. Ephesians 4:11-14 says,

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

As a pastor and teacher, I function much like a physical therapist. I have a responsibility to teach others how to strengthen themselves in Christ and to find balance in their walk with God.

There are many fads, teachings and exploited scriptures out there that tend to pressure a person in one direction or the other losing their center of gravity. A good example might be the prosperity gospel or unconditional submission to abusive authority. It’s easy to get pulled in to these teachings all the while losing the balance of scripture. Difficulty arises when nuggets of truth are selfishly twisted and appeal to the fleshy forces of gravity. It’s against such forces we resist and pull back to the scriptures holding fast and balancing our lives upon the truths therein.

Scripture serves as our center of gravity. Learning it in context gives us balance. Balance makes us strong. Strength keeps us from being “tossed back and forth and blown around” in our faith. This is a firm foundation in Christ, through grace, which then qualifies us to teach others.

Paul says it this way in 2 Timothy 2:1-2,

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

What are you known for?

I recently heard a friend of mine discussing how there is typically one dominant attribute that an individual is known for.

Some might be known by their trade…
“the coffee guy” or “the lumberjack.”

Others are known for their abilities or hobbies…
“the golfer” or “the chess wizard.”

Still some are just noted for their appearance…
“the bald guy” or “the girl with the beehive.”

If there were one attribute I would want to be known for it would simply be passionate follower of Jesus.

What do you think it would take for a person to live today in such a way that people identify them as an authentic, passionate follower of Christ?